Step Lively

The path toward a better body image proceeds one step at a time—literally. For a study at McMaster University in Canada, kinesiologists Kelly P. Arbour and Kathleen A. Martin Ginis recruited 42 women. The subjects' goal was to walk an additional 3,500 steps (equal to about a half-hour of moderate-intensity walking), as recorded on a pedometer, three days a week. Some of the participants were also encouraged to formulate specific plans regarding when, where, and for how long they would walk. The researchers found an association between the total number of steps logged during 11 weeks and improvement in satisfaction with physical function, including fitness, energy, stamina, muscle tone, and physical ability—important aspects of body image. And "the women who planned their exercise showed the greatest improvements in walking and in body-image perception," Arbour says.